Yet another milestone
I have been a big fan of the Taito Milestones collections. They have been packed with a lot of titles I grew up playing both in arcades, as well as at home, and it scratches that nostalgia itch of weird games that were maybe not as popular as the usual classic titles. Here we are now with the third installment, and what also may be my favorite collection so far. Everything around the games is pretty much the same, which is disappointing as I would love more additions to these titles, but it is impossible to deny how much I really like the collection included in the third entry of this ongoing compilation.
This collection boasts a whopping ten games, which again is the same as the last two outings. We have a couple Bubble Bobble titles, some Rastan titles, and a host of other obscure games that if you grew up in that age, probably played at an arcade somewhere, but might not remember the name. I won’t be going into deep details, but let’s break down a little about each title.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Switch
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
First up we have Bubble Bobble, which is easily the most recognizable game in the collection. I am willing to bet just about everyone who has played a version of this game, and most likely own one in some collection, somewhere. I cannot fathom someone who has not played this game, but if not, its inclusion is a must-play. Next up we have Rainbow Islands, which is the sequel to Bubble Bobble. In this sequel Bub and Bob have been transformed into people as opposed to the dragons from the first game. The concept is also different as the goal is to make it to the top of the stage using their rainbow powers. Hence the name of the game.
Next up let’s talk about the Rastan games included. First, we have Rastan Saga which is your prototypical side-scrolling action game. It stars a Conan look-alike character with hefty weapons that are great for bashing enemies. This game has some great music and ridiculously frustrating enemies. It has all the tropes of your traditional action games, and everyone has likely played several other games that feel just like it. The sequel is also included here, which is the same premise as the first, but the sprites are just awful. I kid you not, look at a screenshot between the two games and it is night and day. Overall, the sequel feels like one of those moments where the team was like “how can we make this ten times worse” then proceeded to outdo themselves. I love it.
Finally, to round out the Rastan saga we have Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode III. Like what are we doing with these titles? Thankfully the third game the developers really brought their best. This is a double cabinet game with three characters to choose from and feels more akin to Golden Axe. The sprites are gorgeous and the action is a blast. This is by far my favorite Rastan game, and its inclusion is appreciated. Not sure I have been able to play this one outside of an arcade before.
Next up we have Cadash, which is awesome. This is an action RPG game that has more depth than it has any right to. I love the combat and the world it exists in. It also originally had four player co-op, but sadly that is not here. Instead we get a two player mode, which is neat, but these are the things I was referring to when I said I wish they had spent more time adding extras to these games. Imagine Cadash four player online, granted you could find three friends with as much love for Cadash as I, I mean you have. Seriously, play Cadash.
Alright, time for some more action. The next game is Champion Wrestler, which is one of those games as a kid, I wished it had the WWF license (or WWE, you know what I mean) because it played so much better than those awful LJN wrestling games on SNES and Genesis. This is a pretty standard title now, but back then it was so much better than the wrestling games we got on other home consoles.
Runark is up next, and most people will remember this game by its other name, Growl for the Sega Genesis. That version is NOT good when compared to this one. Imagine a side-scrolling beat ‘em up that has animal special moves and a main character that looks like a certain archeologist from a popular “indy” film, and you have Runark. This game is outstanding, and I find myself finishing it every time I boot it up.
Winding down let’s close this out with some quick hits. Thunder Fox is a side-scrolling action game that feels a lot like Rush ‘n Attack from Konami with some awesome vehicles to drive. Finally, we have Dead Connection, which is probably the most interesting game in this collection. I don’t remember this game and I think it might be the first time it has been available in a compilation ever. It is a sort of top-down shooter where players take on the role of FBI agents mowing down mob enemies. It is really cool and I honestly do not remember ever playing it before. It has issues being of its time, but its inclusion is awesome.
Taito Milestones 3 has some of the best games in these collections to date, but I would really love it if they spent some time adding a sort of museum. I would love to learn more about these obscure arcade titles. Still, I have been on board with these since the first game. I do wish they would release them on more platforms and bulk up the extras, but they are hard not to recommend purely for nostalgic purposes.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.